Cynthia Ulrich of Madison passed away suddenly on June 10 after a long battle with breast cancer. Cynthia was 65 years old. She was the beloved wife of 27 years to John Ulrich and loving sister of Joyce Zoldak of Alexandria, Virginia, and Alan Oblon of Meriden. She also leaves behind nieces Kristin and Heather Oblon; nephew Joshua Oblon; sister-in-law Zina Oblon; brother-in-law John Zoldak; and aunts Dorothy and Eleanor Iwanicki of Meriden. She was born in Meriden, the daughter of Ted and Irene Oblon. She married John and moved into a new home they built in Madison in 1991. She loved being a mother to her four dogs, Sandy, Gretta, Daisy, and Maggie. Cynthia’s positive spirit, her love of life, and her wonderful sense of humor will be remembered forever.
Cynthia received degrees from Southern Connecticut State University, including a master’s degree in counseling. She was employed by the State of Connecticut for 34 years in the Bureau of Disability and the Workers Compensation Commission as a rehabilitation coordinator; she enjoyed helping people who were injured on the job find new skills for employment. After Cynthia retired in 2012, she pursued her passions of music, tennis, and nature. She enjoyed planting flowers and shrubs in her garden and feeding the hummingbirds and other birds it attracted; she turned her yard into a garden paradise. She loved spending time with her nieces and nephew going to concerts and participating in craft shows.
Cynthia and John shared many passions and interests. Some of Cynthia’s happiest moments were spent outdoors enjoying nature with John. You could be sure if the sun was shining or if it was snowing, Cynthia would be hiking with her dogs, cross-country skiing, at the beach, or in her backyard planting. Cynthia loved the seacoast, spending many summer vacations in Maine, much time at her sister’s Rhode Island home, and many summer days driving her Mustang convertible to the Surf Club with her boogie board. An avid tennis player, Cynthia belonged to “The Tennis Girls” League at Madison Racquet, Old Saybrook Racket, and the USTA. She also was an advanced pianist who studied at Harte School of Music and New Haven Music School, and performed piano recitals at venues such as the 2015 Grand Opening of the George Bray Cancer Center in Plainville. Until very recently, Cynthia had been taking tennis clinics and practicing for a performance with two pianos, something she found immense pleasure in.
She belonged to many clubs, including the Garden Club of Madison, Florence Griswold Museum, Wadsworth Athenaeum, St. Lawrence Church Woman’s Prayer Group, and the Conservative Woman’s Forum. She was very religious and was a parishioner of St. Margret and St. Lawrence Catholic churches. As an active member of the Garden Club of Madison, Cynthia was naturally talented at flower arranging, winning numerous awards and blue ribbons in flower arranging competitions, including First Place in the National Garden Club Flower Show, Division II. She was a patron of the arts and loved supporting art museums and theater, and attended musical performances and art openings at local galleries. Cynthia even had a movie debut in Jackknife with Robert De Niro.
Cynthia’s love of travel started with a summer backpacking trip to Europe upon college graduation, and later trips to Japan, Hong Kong, and Thailand with her grandmother and sister. John and Cynthia’s favorite vacation spot was Hawaii and they took many trips there. They also vacationed in St. Lucia, Jamaica, Jekyll, and Kiawah Islands; Cancun; San Antonio; and Palm Springs. She also went on many trips with her “Tennis Girls” to Vermont and New York City.
She was involved in fundraising for charities that benefit Breast Cancer such as Y ME and Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation. Y ME honored Cynthia for the outstanding number of donations she collected for their major fund-raising events.
She loved fashion and shopping, never missed out on a bargain, and would have loved to have been a professional shopper. Cynthia shopped for all her friends and family, always bestowing thoughtful gifts on them. Another signature of Cynthia’s flair for fashion was her many colorful hats. In the summer with the top down on her Mustang, Cynthia could be seen smiling and wearing a gorgeous hat that she beautifully decorated.
Cynthia had a beautiful smile and a sunny radiant personality, and was loved by all who knew her. Her brave and selfless attitude inspired so many and will live on in all of those she touched. She always had hope and was the first one to give encouragement to all around her. She always thought of others and felt it was her mission to give encouragement and support to others also battling a disease. Cynthia was a fighter, loving life and living life to its fullest. She will be sorely missed and is now playing the piano in heaven for the angels.
Friends and relatives of Cynthia are invited to attend her Funeral Mass on July 12 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Margaret Church, 24 Academy St., Madison, 203-245-7301.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Swan Funeral Home in Clinton. In lieu of flowers contributions in Cynthia’s memory may be made to the Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation, PO Box 785, New London, CT 06320, or tbbcf.org
